On August 28, 2011, Tropical Storm Irene lashed Vermont with all-time record rainfalls. The storm caused floods that wreaked destruction throughout the state: over 500 miles of state roads were destroyed, and some 200 bridges and 3,000 homes were damaged. It has been called a 500-year flood.

The town of Waterbury, where I live, was one of the hardest hit towns. Some 200 homes were seriously damaged and some destroyed. Overnight, many of my neighbors lost nearly everything.

I have been documenting the stories of the people in my community whose lives have been touched and changed by Tropical Storm Irene. These stories have appeared in Yankee Magazine, Boston Globe, Waterbury Record, Burlington Free Press, VTDigger.org and on radio station WDEV.

Following are the stories of disaster and hope that have continued to unfold since the flood.

"Vermont's Unsung Hurricane Hero"Boston Globe, August 31, 2011
How WDEV, the 80-year old independent radio station in Waterbury, Vt., kept people connected throughout the storm.

"A Helper Reaches for Help"Waterbury Record, 12/22/12
Rev. Peter Plagge of the Waterbury Congregational Church talks about unmet needs following Irene, and the challenge that he faces as a helper."The Ayers Family Gives Thanks for Family, and a Life"VTDigger, 12/4/11, and Waterbury Record
The story of Gleason Ayers, 94, and his family, as they return home to their Waterbury home to celebrate Thanksgiving, just as they have for a century.

"Randall Street Rises Again"VTDigger, 11/6/11, and Waterbury Record
The fall and rise of a flooded neighborhood in downtown Waterbury, as displaced Randall Street neighbors return to their devastated street to celebrate Halloween.

About Me

I am an author and journalist. Which is a fancy way of saying that I’m a storyteller. In the decades that I’ve been telling stories – from South Africa’s transformation from apartheid, to media propaganda during the Iraq War to ski adventures in the mountains of the Northeast – none have affected me quite like these. These are stories close to home and heart: they chronicle the struggles, fears, hopes and triumphs of my neighbors in Waterbury, Vermont, in the wake of one of the state’s greatest natural disasters, Tropical Storm Irene. I am honored to share their stories.